Last.



J. C. SCHELTER.

LAST.

APPLICATION HLED APR.15. 1914.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

rrn STA ATT Flfilil.

JOHN C. SCHELTER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FITZ-EMPIRE DOUBLEPIVOT LAST COMPANY, OF AUBURN, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed April 15, 1914. Serial No. 831,979.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. SCHELT R, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rochester. in the county of Monroe and State of New York,have invented certain Improvements in Lasts, of which the followingdescript on, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating likeparts in the several figures.

Divided lasts of the more common commercial types usually comprise afore part, a heel part. and bonding means for connecting said parts insuch a manner that the parts are enabled to swing from an extended orstraightened relationship into a collapsed or shortened relationship.These lasts are usually always turned in a solid one-piece form and arethen so divided as to form the desi ed abuttirg faces on the adjacentends of the fore and heel parts, after which the lend ng or ccnncctirgmeans are inserted in the respective parts and secured therein. Tlefesenings by wh ch the bonding means is secured do not settle firmlyinto the wood when tl-e last is first assembled and it is usually frundthat, if the last is assembled in such a manner that it will straightenfreely when it is new, there will be enough slack in the connectons tocause some looseness or wabble between the fore and heel parts after thelast has been used a short time. On the other hand, if the last isassembled tightly enough to allow for this slack, it will be difiicultto close or straighten when first put into use. Accordingly, it is theusual practice to treat the lasts before they are completed in somemanner designed to take the stre ch or slack out of thebonding means andsettle the fastenings firmly into the fore and heel parts.

One method of obtaining this result is to assemble the last parts sotightly that they can be straightened only with some ditliculty, tien topartly collapse the last and to insert between the abutting faces of thefore and heel parts near their bottom surfaces a thin sheet of metal.The last is then supported bottom upward on its toe and heel pars,leaving the middle of the last unsupported. and is struck a heavy blowwith a rawhide mallet. This operation, of course, settles the rivets orother means, by which the connections are anchored in the twopartsfirmly into the wood and takes out slack that might previously haveexisted in this connection. After the sheet of metal has been removedfrom between the abutting surfaces it usually will be found that theheel part will swing easily into its pro-per extended relation to thefore part with the abutting surfaces of the parts meeting smoothly. Thisprocedure, however, results in breaking a substantial proportion of thelasts so treated. It is an important object of this invention to devisea divided last in which the fore and heel parts can be properly adjustedwithout danger of injuring the lasts.

It is a further object of the invention to devise a bonding means forthe fore and hes, parts of the last which will enable the last toshorten rapidly at the beginning of its collapsing movement. This is avery desirable feature since it not only avoids any binding of the heelpart of the last against the, lining of the shoe at the heel inwithdrawing the last, but also makes it very much easier to insert thelast in the shoe without wrinkling the lining or injuring the counter.

It is also an object of tlie invention to devise a connection for thefore and heel parts of a last which can be conveniently removed from thefore part if it is desired to discard this part of the last for anyreason, as for instance where a standard heel part made of metal orother relatively indestructible material is employed.

These and other objects of the invention will be readily understood fromthe following description of one embodiment thereof, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a last constructed in accordance withthis invention; and

Fig. 2 is an angular View showing the corn nection, between the fore andheel parts, the heel. part of the last being shown in verticalcross-section.

The construction shown comprises a fore part 2 and a heel part a. Thefore part has a sharply inclined rear end face 6 that extends downwardlyfrom the top of the last to a point a short distance above its bottomface and the. heel Part has a backwardly ins dined end face 8, th se twoes Pr i i an open V-shaped space between the'upner portions of the twoparts of the lasts. The

12 is formed on the fore part 2, beginning at g the upper edge of theface 10 and extending forwardly; while a corresponding horizontal 7 faceon the heel part 4 overlies'and rests on the face 12 when the parts arein their extended positions, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The face6 may be continued until it meets the surface 12 or these two surfacesmay be connected by a curved face 13 form- I ing a recess in, the rearend of the fore part, as shown in Fig. 1'.

The heel part is bonded to the fore part by means of a hinge consistingof two bolts 'or dowels 14 positioned in holes drilled hori- Zontallyinto the heel part 4 just above the face 12, and a pair of correspondingbolts 16, positioned in holes drilled horizontally in the fore part 2opposite the holes in the heel part. These bolts are each provided witha head or knuckle that lies just above the face 12 of the fore part andat the bottom'of the V-shaped space between the faces 6 and 8 of thefore and heel parts, respectively. A transverse pivot pin 18. extendsthrough these knuckles and hinges the bolts 14 to the bolts 16. The twobolts 14- are secured in the heel part by means of a pin 20 thatextends" transversely through both the heel part and the end portions ofthe bolts.

A horizontal hole is bored transversely through the fore part '2 atright angles to and opening into the ends of the holes in which thebolts 16 are positioned. In this hole a sleeve22 is rotatably mountedand this sleeve has an eccentric bore, as clearly shown in the drawings.Each of the bolts 16 has at its forward end a head 24- that is connectedto the bolt by a short'reduced neck 25. The eccentric sleeve 22 hastw'o'keyhole v slots 26 cut in its periphery, the large part of eachslot being of sufficient dimensions to receive the head 2% of one of thebolts 16, while the reduced part of the slot is of a width justsufficient to receive the neck 25 by which the head is connected to thebolt.-

Consequently, when the necks 25 are in the reduced parts of the slots,the heads 24 will bear against the inner surface of the sleeve 22. Itwill be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the large part of theslot is cut in the thinnest part of the sleeve 22, while the narrow partof the slot extends through the thickest part of the sleeve.Accordingly, when the heads of the bolts are positioned inthe-sleeve,as"they are shown in the drawings, and the sleeve is turned,the bolts will bed-rawn forward or allowed [to slide-back- I ware,dependingiiptinthe" direction of tota formed in one end of the sleeve toreceive the end of a key, or screwdriver of suitable dimensions, tofacilitate the adjustment of the slee'veyand one or more holes 30 aredrilled transversely through the sleeve to receive a screw 32 by whichthe sleeve'may in all positions of its adjustment. The holes 30 aredrilled through'the sleeve close to its end and opposite the cut awayportion in such a manner that when a screw 32 is inserted in one of theholes 30 it may be driven by a screw-driver in the usual way, the shankof the screw-driver being positioned in the cut away portion of thesleeve.

' Assuming the fore and heel parts of the last to be completed, they areassembled by assembling the hinge; then inserting the bolts 14 in theheel part; securing them therein by means of the pin 20; inserting thesleeve 22 in the fore part with the large part of the keyhole slots 26in alinement withtlie holes inwhich thebolts 16 are received; and theninser'tingthese bolts inthe holes in the fore part until their heads 24'are e ntered in the respective slots 26 of. the sleeve. The'sleeve; 22is then turned by means of a key inserted in the slot 28. thus drawing;the hinge, and with it the heel part 4, longitudinally of the last untilthe abut The screw 32 is then in-f tion of the sleeve. A transverse slot28 is sertedin the hole 30 andforced into the fore 7 part, thus lockingthe sleeve 22 in its ad-' justed position. Thecam-like action of thesleeve on the heads of the bolts enables a workman to draw the fore andheel parts together as tightly as he desires.

The neck 25 connecting each head 24 with its respective bolt 16preferably is longer than the maximum thickness ofthe eccentrio sleeve22. This construction provides for a certain amount of lost motionbetween the bolts Y16 and the sleeve 22 and allows the heel part toslide forward relatively to the fore part'as soon as it is swung out ofits extended position. Thisgshding move ment also effects a forwardmovement of the pivot 18 so that the heel part is moved forward withrelation to the center about which the initial swinging movement began.Theadjacent end faces of the fore andheel parts, of course, areconstructed to permit this slid ng movement. Accordingly as soon asthe'heel part 4 begins itsl'collapsi'ng movement, th bolts m are"altowed; to l ente tain ward in the fore part 2, thus permitting theabutting face of the heel part to slide forward on the corner formed bythe faces 10 and 12 of the fore part, carrying the back of the heel awayfrom the counter and lining of the shoe in which the last is positioned.Thereafter the collapsing'movement of the heel part may be completedwithout the heel part binding in the shoe, the location of the pivot. 18with relation to the fore and heel parts being such that the continuedswinging movement of the heel tends to shorten the last still further.The dotted line position of the heel part in Fig. 1 shows the heel justafter it has slid forward as above described When the last istobe'extended, the upper edge of the: face 10 may serve as: fulcrum, uponwhich the corresponding heel part face may slide. and rock as the. lostmotion in the bonding means is taken up and the. heel partv settles;into extended position.

If desired, a lock'may be provided to hold the last in its extendedposition and this look may be of any convenient, construction. In theform shown, it consists of a bracket 32 secured to the face 6 of thefore part and having pivoted thereto a strut 34. adapted to be swungeither into engagement with the face 8 of the heel party where it willlock the last in its: extended condition, or into an inoperativeposition parallel to the face 6 where it will permit the. last tocollapse. A spring 36 tends to hold the strut 34 in its operative. orlocking position.

In order to guard against the possibility of splitting the last,horizontally through the apertures. in which the. parts-l6 and 22 arepositioned, the: fore part may be; reinforced by a wood screw 38. orother suitable means preferably located behind the sleeve 22' andbetween the bolts; 16 and extending in the direction. of the height. ofthe. last from: the lastv bottom to. a point in the instep portion ofthe fore.- part.

The. hinge. or its adjusting means can not work loose duringthe. use ofthe last, but the heel part may be. disconnected from thefore part. atanytime; by removing the screw 32, rotating the sleeve; 22 until thelarge portions: of the keyhole slots: come; into: a lmement. with thebolts: 16", and then withdrawing the bolts and later withdrawing thesleeve. This: connection, therefore, is of p articular utility in lasts:having standard heel parts. designed to be used with a number ofinterchangeable fore parts- Sometimes: a

last is subjected to such severe strains. in the process. ofmanufacturing a. shoe, particularly' in the leveling operation, that thecon-.

,nections between the. fore and heel parts are stretched enough to'introducesomeloose- ;ness' between these-parts or to disturbv their'alinement. Nith the'arrengement; abovede scribed, this difliculty canberemedied at; any

time by removing the-locking screw 32 and adjusting the sleeve 22sufiiciently to draw the heel and fore parts together in their properrelationship. The screw 32, of course, should then be replaced to holdthe parts in their adjusted positions.

While the embodiment of the invention above described includes featuresby which all of the objects heretofore mentioned are accomplished, itwill be readily understood that these features can be used independentlyof each other without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let.- ters Patent of the: United States. is:

1. In a divided last, the combinationwith a heel part and a fore partconstructed to have a. relative movement into. collapsed or extendedrelationship, of bonding means connecting said heel and fore parts, andmeans extending transversely of the last and co operating with saidbonding means to. effect a relative adjustment of the fore and heelparts longitudinally of the last.

2. In a divided last, the; combination with a heel part and a forev partconstructed to have a relative movement into collapsed or extendedrelationship, of bonding means connecting said heel and fore parts, andmeans mounted in the fore part of the last and extending transverselythereof arranged to cooperate. with said bonding means to effect arelative adjustment of the fore and heel parts longitudinally of thelast.

3. In a divided last, the; combination with a heel: part and a fore partconstructed to have a relative movement into collapsed or extendedrelationship, of bonding means connecting said heel and tore parts, andre.- tatable. means extending; transversely of the last and engagingsaid; bonding means in such manner as to ettect: its: rotati've:movemerit a relative; adjustment of said tore heel parts longitudinallyof the: last.

4.. In a. divided last, the combination with a heel part and a forepart.constructed to have a relativemevement into.- coll'apsed. or extendedrelationship, of bonding means connecting said heel and fore parts, andan eccentric cooperating with said bonding means to effect; a relativeadjustment, of the fore: and; heel parts= longitudinally oi? the last.

5.. Ina divided last, the combination with a heel part and a fore partconstructed to have. a relative movement into collapsed or extendedrelationship, of bonding means connecting said heel part. and toreparts, an

eccentric rotatably mounted in the. forepart of thelastin engagementwithsaid bonding means and. arranged to eitect madjfustment of the bondingmeans longitudinally ofv the.

means for l'iolding said. eccentric in an ad usted position.

tic-

" c 6. In a dividedlast, the combination with a heel part and a forepart constructed to have a relative movement into collapsed or extendedrelationship, of bonding means connecting said heel and tore parts, arotatable device extending transversely of the last and arranged toengage said bonding means in such manner asto effect by its rotativemovement a relative adjustment of the fore and heel parts longitudinallyof the last, and means for locking said rotatable device againstrotative movement to hold it in adjusted position. a

7.' In a divided last, the combination with a heel part and a tore partconstructed to have a relative movement into collapsedor extendedrelationship, of bonding means connecting said heel-and fore parts, anec: centric rotatably mounted in engagement with-said bonding means andarranged to cooperate with said means toeifectthrough its rotativemovement a relative adjustment of the heel and tore parts toward or fromeach other, and means for locking said eccentric against rotativemovement to hold it in adjusted position. r v. 8. In a divided last, thecombination with a heel part and a fore part constructed to have arelative movement into collapsed or extended relationship,' of bondingmeans connecting said heel and tore parts, an eccentric sleeve rotatablymounted in one of said last parts and having engagement with saidbonding means enabling it to adjust said means longitudinally of thelast, and means for securing said sleeve against rotative movement tohold it in adjusted position. .9. Ina divided last,'the combination witha heel part; a fore part, and bonding means connecting said parts toenable the heel part to swing relatively to the fore part to collapse orextend the last,;of an eccentric device'for securing said bonding meansto one of said last partsj'said device being adjustable to movesaid'nieans longitudinally of the last, and means for holding saideccentric devicein adjusted position.

10. In a divided last, the combination w th a heel part, a fore parthaving a transiverse'bore, and bonding means connecting said parts toenable the heel part to swing relatively to the fore part to collapse orextend the last, of an eccentric sleeve rotatably mounted in saidtransverse bore, said-sleeve being provided with one or more peripheralslots and said bonding means having parts entering said slotsandengaging the inner surface of the" sleevewherebya turning movement ofthe sleeve operates to move the bonding means 7 longitudinallyof thelast,

and means'for securing said sleeve in adjusted position.- v '-"11. In adivide'ddast, the combination with a heel part a tore part and bonding"initial "begun.

neaareo m'eansconnecting said parts and enabling the heel part to swingrelatively to the fore part to collapse the last, of adjusting meanscooperating with said bonding means to effect a relative adjustment ofthet'ore and heel parts longitudinally of the last, said bonding meanshaving a lost motion connection with said adjusting means and said'fol'eand heel parts having their abutting faces shaped to enable said'heelpart to slide forward during its collapsing movement.

12. In a divided last, the combination with "a heel part, a forepart,-and bonding means connecting saicl.parts and enabling the heelpart to swing relatively to .the fore part to collapse or extend thelast, of a device mounted transversely in the fore part of the last to:secure saidbontling means in the fore part, and means positioned betweensaid device and 'the rear face of the fore part and extending in thedirection of the height of the last to reinforce said fore'part.

13. In a divided last," the combination with a heel part; a fore part,and bonding means connecting said parts and enabling the heel part toswing relatively to the fore part to collapse or extend the last, ofmeans removably mounted in the fore part of the last for securing-saidbonding means to the tatabl mounted in a transverse bore formed in thefore part, said sleevehaving av 111 rality of keyhole slots'formedin itsperipheral surface, headed extensions from said hinge arranged toentersaid slotsand engage the inner surface of the se'eve'to secure thehinge tothe fore. part. and means for'securing said sleeve in adjustedposition.

"15. In a divided last," the combination with aheel part and a fore parthaving abutting end faces, of bonding means having a single pivot axisconnecting said parts and holding said abutting faces in contactwith'each other when thelast is extended but enabling the heel part toswing initially relatively to the forepa'rt to collapse the last, saidbonding means and the end faces of said heel and fore parts beingconstructed and arranged to enable the heel part to slide I forwardrelatively tothe center about which the initial swinging collapsingmovement'o't the 'heel part'beigins immediately after said swingingcollapsing movement has 16. In a divided last, the combination with aheel part and a fore part having abutting end faces, of bonding means(connecting said parts and holding said abut-- ting faces in contactwhen the last is extended, said bonding means and said heel parts andfore part being constructed and arranged to enable the heel part toswing initially with relation to the fore part about a center lyingbetween the points of attachment of the bonding means to collapse thelast and then to move bodily forward relatively to the center aboutwhich the initial swinging collapsing movement of the heel part begins,immediately after said initial swinging collapsing movement has begun.

17. In a divided last, the combination with a heel part and a fore parthaving abutting end faces. of bonding means having means for anchoringit in said last parts, and a pivot distinct from said anchoring means,said bonding means connecting said parts and holding said abutting facesin contact when the last is extended, said bonding means and said heelpart and fore part being constructed and arranged to enable the heelpart to swing initially with relation to the fore part to collapse thelast and, by bodily forward movement of the bonding means, to permit theheel part to move bodily toward the fore part.

18. In a divided last, the combination with a heel part and a fore parthaving abutting end faces, of bonding means connecting said parts andholding said abutting faces in contact when the last is extended, saidbonding means and said heel part and fore part being constructed andarranged to enable the heel part to swing initially about a center withrelation to the fore part to collapse the last and then by forwardmovement of that center, to enable the heel part to move bodily towardthe fore part immediately after the initial swinging collapsing movementhas begun.

19. In a divided last, the combination with a heel part and a fore parthaving abutting end faces, of bonding means connecting said parts andholding said abutting faces in contact when the last is extended, saidbonding means and said heel part and fore part being constructed andarranged to enable the heel part, first, to swing initially about acenter with relation to the fore part, second, to move bodily forwardrelatively to the fore part and, third, to swing farther toward the forepart about a center in advance of the first mentioned center.

20. In a divided last, the combination with a heel part and a fore parthaving abutting end faces, of bonding means connecting said parts andholding said abutting faces in contact when the last is extended, saidbonding means, heel part and fore part being constructed and arranged toenable the heel part to swing initially with relation to the fore partabout a center lying substantially between said last parts to collapsethe last, and said bonding means having a lost motion connection withone of said parts whereby the heel part is enabled to move bodily towardthe fore part immediately after said initial swinging collapsingmovement has begun.

21. In a divided last, the combination with a heel part and a fore parthaving abutting end faces, of bonding means nonrotatably mounted in saidlast parts connecting said parts and holding said abutting faces incontact when the last is extended, said bonding means, heel part andfore part being constructed and arranged to permit the collapse of thelast by an initial swing of said heel part followed by a movement oftranslation of said heel part relative to said fore part.

22. In a divided last, the combination with a heel part and a fore parthaving abutting end faces, of bonding means rigidly mounted in one ofsaid last parts connecting said parts and holding said abutting faces incontact when the last is extended, said bonding means, heel part andfore part being constructed and arranged to permit the collapse of thelast by an initial swinging movement followed by a movement of combinedswing and translation of the heel part relative to the fore part.

23. In a divided last, the combination with a heel part, a fore part,and tension means connecting said parts and constructed and arranged toenable the heel part and a portion of said tension means to swingrelatively to the fore part and another portion of said means to extendthe last, said tension means having a lost motion connection, and one ofsaid fore and heel parts having a fulcrum upon which the other of saidparts may turn and slide into extended position while taking up the lostmotion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. SCHELTER.

Witnesses:

EMILE H. TARDIVEL, J OHN H. MCCREADY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. 12yaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

